Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-04-29
THE TEXAS PANHANDLE.
It's POssibiIities-Informa alton for the I'm
migrant and Capitalist.

It's PossibiIties-Informa alton for the I'm.
migrant and Capitalist.
! Following is letter to General 6. NJ
| Dodge regarding the agricultural re.
! sources of the Texas Panhandle:
CLARENDON, DoNLEY COUNTY. TEN, !
General 6. NJ. Dodge. New York city.
DEAR SIR-In response TO your inquiry
| regarding the agricultural possibilities
OF the Panhandle of Texas, | beg
leave to state that an intelligent
system Of farming is all That IS required
to develop tne resources OF the country,
devoted, as II now is 81
most exclusively to stock raising
A study OF the Flora or natural
Wild vegetation is almost the only posi-
BE means by waich we can determine
what crops the farmer can successfully
rSise. In the present gradual development
OF the country three distinctive systems
OF agriculture are markedly pursued
The first is adapted exclusively 10 stock
interests.
Land Is rl3Ugbed, and sown N corn, sor-
ghum, millet, cats or rye,i the grain does
not mead, IL Is cut Tor fodder and fed to
beef steers during the winter months.
Corn being the general crop, 1t
will serve s. an illustration Of the
style Of farming mentioned.
One man breaks up 100 acres, plants i in
corn with horse secder Corn planter :;
when the corn Is distinguishable uutil It
begins 90 taSsle q hOrs5 cultiya.Or IL
run, and the rows are worked and
kept clean; when the corn is made it Is
gathered by hand with the ShuCk, thrown
into wagon and dumped st some cODve-
nient point on the ground, there 10 re-
main until it is either fed to
beef steers or sold. The stalks
sire cut by g moving machine, gathered
with a horse-rake, thrown into rick,
stacked the same as ray and fai dur
ing the winter months to
stock. In this way one man
is enabled to take care Of 100 acres of
land. The high price of grain and de-
maUd for winter forage, makes this
kind of farming possible and profit
able at this time. The basis on
which it is done IS that while II costs IS
much TO do the work as the return is
employment is given to men who have to
be retained. The second class of farming
is done by emigrants from other states,
who, coming to Texas, pursue the same
system and plant the same kind of grain
as they Gid where they came from, and
con inue in their course until they either
acquire some sense of the fitness Of
things, or else are completely broken up,
and leave the country in disgust.
The third class are intelligent agricul-
turists, who examine the natural groWths
Of the country, reason By anolOgy and
plant seed in accordance. These men
finding certain plants indigeous to the soil
closely examine the natural vegetation
and planting the domestic family Of the
same germs, are invariably successful IN
raising crops.
Of the Flora of the Panhandle it may
be generally stated that fully three
fOurihs are of the top-rooted
families, aud of these fu ly three
fourths are of the Iegume, or
poo bearing species, which comprises
the sensitive pIsnt, trifolia or three
Ieaved family. The wild yam, locally
known as the tumble weed, is
also indigenous to tte s0ilg
The native grasses are the mesquite,
sage and lake. They each grow on q
short tick stalk, terminating in a full,
rich head of grain or seed.
The wild saCCharine or sweet grape
and three different species of plum-the
Wild goose, Cherokee and ChickasaW-are
found in abundance.
Beginning with the first named the
natural deduction is that root vegetables
will flourish in this soil, namely, carrots,
beets, mangel wurtEeI, sweet potatoes,
Irish potatoes, etc, plants which can be
used for stock-raising and food producing
Notably the wealth of Scot
- in no ~
crop. OF the legume family, there
is the the field pea, bean, pumpkin.
squash, etc, all Of the vine and pod
bearing .mily which flourish Iuxuriantly
in the Panhandle.
The growth Of clover has never been |
attempted, but we have every reason |
to suppose any sttempt of its cultivation |
would be successful. Cereals such as |
rye, barley, oats and wh6at, have been |
planted experimentally; they have de- |
geIoped q short thick stalk and |
arge, full head of grain. Such 8 thing |
IS field of grain blown down by wind or
beaten down by rain is unknown IN the |
Egyptian corn and Million
maize are better adapted to the soil than !
he common western corn.
OF the fruit family it can be said with |
out two exceptions, the gear and
ne apple, they can be SHOWN 4!
OF the first named4hepear /
las a strong tap root that pushes into |
ne ground and puts out few feeders. |
IN soft or loamy sell the |
DOT develops at the expense |
Il the tree and fruit. The apple. has
generally been planted on damp soil, hat
las impaired softness to the fruit that
las been deleterious to its preservation.
Both of the above conditions could, how I
,ver, be overcome by proper attention /
% the detail of soil and planting.
In Summing up the capacities of the
sAphandfe of Texas, would5